Floor Plans

At a recent meeting of my writing group, I shared a section of my current project. The section had two characters traveling though a house at two different times in history. After sharing, one member of the group asked if I had designed a floor plan since there were so many details, and they were so consistent from scene to scene. I responded that, of course, I did.

Earlier in the session, another member of the group had shared a piece he was writing about a hotel. He had a realization about his own writing, saying that he hoped when characters were coming out of the elevator they were turning the same way to get to the lobby!

One piece of advice I would give any writer is to create a map or floor plan as one of the earliest stages of your writing process. It doesn’t sound much like writing, but mapping an imaginary world, sketching out a floor plan or consulting existing maps and floor plans all keep details consistent. They’ll help you describe your setting to your readers, so that they can picture what you are seeing. Readers are smart and observant. They’ll notice if you make basic location mistakes.

Favorite Time to Write

Do you have a favorite time to write?

I love writing first thing in the morning with a steaming cup of Red Rose tea nearby. I can tell if it’s a productive writing session if the cup of tea goes cold. This happens most often during summer months on my back porch. There's something about nature all around me, the world waking up, that inspires me. I love the quiet before everyone else in the house is awake.

As a wife and the mother of two, however, this rarely happens! So, I grab time when I can. Lately, a lot of my writing has been happening on weekends, particuarly Sundays when errands are at a minimum. Or in the evenings when the oldest is getting ready for bed and I am waiting to crash. I must say that fighting sleep and fighting a story line is not always as productive as I'd like it to be.

I made the most progress on Relic when I devoted just 20 minutes a day to writing. I find often, that 20 minutes will turn into a half hour or even an hour or more. Sometimes, that time is spent re-reading what I have already written, or revising what is on the page. Sometimes it is enough to refresh my brain, which after the computer has been shut down, keeps working on the plot. By the time I sit back down the next day, the story has continued in my mind and is waiting to be put down on paper.

No matter when you like to write, make a commitment to that time. Even a little time each day adds up.

Writers Group

I have to say that joining a writing group is a must. I joined my writers group at least 12 years ago. Although the number of members flexes every year, the core members have remained the same. We meet once a month and bring a piece of writing. It can be anything the writer would like feedback on. The author passes out a copy to each member and tells the members where they would like to focus the feedback. It can be anything – “I was having trouble with descriptions,” “Are you picturing this?” “Is my dialog realistic?” The author reads the piece. Then feedback happens. Some members are good at catching grammar and punctuation errors. Others great with trimming the fat. Within 15 minutes you have some excellent feedback on your work.

My group has been great listening to chapters of Relic and giving me feedback. A couple of the members were even among my Beta readers. They read the entire manuscript and were additionally valuable when I presented two new chapters I added because of Beta reader feedback.

Writing is such a solitary endeavor, but it’s no good if you write just for yourself. Every writer should seek outside eyes so that future readers will love every word.  

Wendy Corsi Staub: The Aftermath

It was great meeting Wendy Corsi Staub March 3 at the independent book store Monkey See, Monkey Do. It was an intimate gathering and she talked to us like old friends. I became aware of her writing only recently and read through her Lily Dale series in a few weeks.

During her talk I was struck by several things. As a New York Times best-selling author under contract with HarperCollins, she is a very prolific writer. She has about 80 titles to her credit. It was interesting to hear about her work schedule, which to me sounds grueling. She writes from 4 a.m. to 7 p.m. taking all her meals in her “office.” Due to her contract she must write 4 books by this fall! I cannot imagine the pressure of such deadlines. I admire her creative stamina. Just coming up with all the story ideas I found amazing. She also shared some of those story seeds with us – how a stray cat that was hanging her house gave her the idea for one of her upcoming books.

The other thing that I found to be wonderful was Staub’s support system. Her sister and son accompanied her to the talk. Her sister lives locally and her son goes to a local university, but I found it wonderful when her sister cut in and said what an intelligent, creative person she has always been. “She won’t tell you this, but she is very intelligent,” she said. Staub’s husband and her son are her only beta readers. She said they know what her readers want. Her husband also helps with the business end of the writing. Her son helps with cover art and titles.

It was a great afternoon! Wendy Corsi Staub is a wonderfully personable woman. I’ll be sure to pick up a few more of her books. I’ve got my eye on this new one set in Lily Dale.

Wendy Corsi Staub

I am really excited. Today, I am attending a talk with Wendy Corsi Staub.

It's interesting how sometimes we stumble across things that help us on our journey. A while back, my favorite middle school librarian was pitching books to my 8^th graders. She does this often, and as she does this, I keep a list of potential reads for myself. One title that made my list was Lilydale Awakening by Wendy Corsi Staub. Recently, the librarian pitched the book again, and when no 8^th graders jumped, I took it out. I was interested in the book for a couple of reasons. It had a local setting and was paranormal. I wanted to see how a New York Times best selling author handled these two ideas that I also use in Relic. I really liked the book. Read the whole series.

While visiting friends in Virginia, I got an email from my favorite independent book store Monkey See, Monkey Do, that they were hosting a visit from Wendy Corsi Staub.

A sign? Maybe!

I'm hoping for some insight into the publishing world. Earlier this year, I set a personal goal to hear talks from as many authors as I could. So far, I've heard about ten, many though have been through broadcasts. I'm looking forward to hearing an author in person and perhaps hearing her answers to some of my burning questions.
 

 

 

Luray Caverns

Recently, I was lucky enough to spend a week with friends in Bristow, Virginia. We had hoped for warmer weather than in the frigid north, but unfortunately, we brought the Siberian air mass with us. Enough snow to close down the federal government, including the Smithsonian and National Aquarium in Baltimore for a day.

 

But before the cold air struck, we had the chance to tour nearby Luray Caverns in the Shenandoah Valley. It was my second time touring the caverns, but the place never ceases to amaze me. So other-worldly. I am always looking for inspiration, and I find that real settings are often that inspiration. We took a guided tour, spending about an hour underground among fantastical rock and mineral formations. I like to listen carefully to the history of a place, and sometimes even a piece of history is a seed for a story. Once I have a place for a story, characters start forming, plot starts developing.

 

Among all those orange, gold and white stalactites that look like remants of a long-forgotten desert, I think there must be fodder for a story setting.

Picking an Agent

The agent search continues. I’ve read some articles by published authors on how to find an agent. One writer said that although she felt she wasn’t supposed to, she queried several agents at the same time. I’m following her lead. In the past three days I’ve queried five agents.

It's time consuming and a bit nerve racking. You need to send the query letter, but each agent also wants a different amount of the story -- some 10 pages, some the first chapter, some are as vague as "the first few chapters." Some want it double spaced, some apparently don't care. Some agents request that you include your email address in the query -- which is baffling -- wouldn't they just need to reply to your original email? Anyway, I keep plugging,  knowing this is my one and only shot with this agent, hoping that the segment they request is enough to pique their interest.

I’ve rewritten my query letter. I like this one much better than my first. I think I nailed the summary of Relic more accurately, and I’ve included more information about myself. I really want an agent who believes in the story as much as I do. I love Samantha Whitaker, the way she grows and changes, and the way she starts to believe in someone other than herself. I love that Sam takes a stand for someone who has no voice and helps her find her place in the world. I’m hoping to find an agent who has the patience to see the manuscript through to the end and becomes as proud of Samantha as I am.